It's the End of the World

Tsunamis, riots, Obamacare, earthquakes, government shut-downs, Beck leaving Fox, all indicate one thing: it's the end of the World. Which is someways is anxiety inducing and in others a relief.  Several times in the last few months I have been confronted by individuals who see all this as a sign of the "end times."   For some it's a libertarian/Christian/Gun-toting utopia for others it's a total apocalypse that extinguishes all life.  

The "survivalist, NRA, Christian" types are very pleased with the idea of anarchy and chaos...because they will have guns and food hoarded so they will be able to do "God's Will" at the point of a gun. They will live high on the hog in their bunkers full of Velveeta, beef jerky and Twinkies and those of us who haven't seen the light and accepted JC as our personal savior will whither and starve. The world of medicare, interstate commerce, and NPR will devolve and whither. Only the righteous will survive in small pockets worshiping god and guns.  Sadly for these folks, their vision of apocalypse is a slow boring one, with progressive degradation over let's say 3 to 5 years. These are people who think Rome collapsed in 20 to 30 minutes and forget that Byzantium lasted for another 1000 years after the collapse of Rome. Who's to say, Mexico or Canada may last at least a few more decades after the "end of American Civilizaiton".  The "sack of Washington" may very well be done by angry Mexicans.  

The second group of "apocolyptians" are the cosmic types. The world will end in a puff of smoke sometime before Christmas and it'll be quick and painless.  I find this vision is a great one, because nothing can or needs to be done.  Basically you can just lay back, smoke pot, not pay your bills and nothing you do will matter. I mean if there's no future, why not post a sex video of yourself on the internet, it's not like you'll live long enough to regret it.  The two twenty-somethings who believe and told me this theory smoke a lot of pot and live at home and don't work.   Apocalyptic visions justifying upper-middle class ennui, that's rich. 

What's funny is both groups think I'm silly.  Living my little life, trying to make people laugh, earning my little paychecks. I mean why would I do matter? It's all going to end anyway.  I was asked: "what happens if the world ends the day after you send in your mortgage payment?" (That's funny coming from a stoner in his parent's basement). Another asked me: "if I had made good with Jesus and was I prepared for the end days?" Which was ironic because this was a client starting a new business. In the back of my head I could hear Cristy Lane singing One Day At A Time over the buzzing.

Does it really matter if the world is going to end?  I mean if you want to withdraw and live in a cave in the Idaho woods or in a man cave in the parents garage you're really saying you don't like the idea of the world at all.  Honestly I don't care. You can't change the world by waiting for it to end or hoping that it does, or worse, trying to speed up its demise.  Besides the world ends for all of us at some point doesn't it? Change the world by living in it, and be the best you know how to be......One Day at a Time....lalalala